2018 is a year most golf course managers would like to forget.  The course is holding its own but it has been tough.  This hot humid weather is not what the doctor ordered and the course is showing the stress.

This is cart traffic damage to the second fairway on Thursday. Turf roots have shrunk due to the enormous amount of rain we received.  This is why carts are restricted to the paths until the plant can fully recover.  This area will take several weeks to heal if growing conditions improve.

Heavy rain on August 2nd at the 15th green.

Thinning of the turf five days later.

If you think it is not difficult growing grass check this out. This is damage to the practice green from not enough water in the root zone!  The soil was like powder underneath and caught us off guard.

Our native soil lacks of quality topsoil and has a high clay content.  Adding to this is many of our fine turf areas are sitting on a large rocky base.  This makes growing quality turf almost impossible when we get into the summer grunge.

Preemergent herbicides have been pretty successful but not perfect.  Man is that goosegrass plant ugly.

Too much water has these new dogwoods in decline.

It's been a great environment if you're a mushroom.

How about the job our guys did getting the bunkers back in shape?  Here Tano, Francisco, and Eric compact the bunker faces on 15 fairway bunkers.  That is hard work.

There are some victories occurring.  Here new bent stolons fill in an area on the eighth green aided by our growth regulator use.

Even with the bad weather most of our fairways are performing well.  By the way I happen to believe the course looks its best in the morning.

Changes are happening and summer is gradually fading.  Here purple martins rest in preparation for a long trip south on August 2nd.

On August 4th they are gone not returning till next April and the start of a new spring.